Searching for Certainty
by Trekgirl01
Summary: After Carter and Susan get drunk, they have to deal with gossip and work and one overly emotional and gloomy Abby. An anti-carby fic. You've been warned.
1. Chapter 1

Searching for Certainty  
by Stephanie Muñoz  
  
Spoilers: Takes place sometime after "Lockdown." Can be considered an AU story.  
  
Author's Notes: My attempt to clean up the Carbage. If you are a Carby, you won't like this, so don't bother reading this. I like to publicly display any flames that I get and spend a lot of time laughing at them. You've been warned.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own ER, nor the characters within. I'm just a poor college student with nothing to my name but a biology book and a pencil sharpener. My crickets died, so I don't even own them anymore...  
  
*~*~*  
  
The wind was blowing fiercely and large grey clouds loomed overhead, threatening to release torrential rain any minute now. Dr. Lewis rushed toward the lounge as soon as she was finished with her last patient, anxious to get home before the storm broke. When she entered the lounge she found that the lights were off and the room dimly lit by small bits of sunlight filtering in through the closed blinds. She recognized the form of Carter sitting on the sofa with his head in his hands.  
  
"Carter?" she hesitantly called, somewhat worried about him.  
  
"Hey, Susan," he mumbled, not lifting up his head to look at her.  
  
"You okay?" she asked, sitting on the other side of the sofa.  
  
"No, not really," he sighed. "Ever have a day from hell?"  
  
"Besides when Kerry's working?" Susan said with a small chuckle.  
  
"No," Carter answered, finally looking up at her. "I mean a really, really bad day that makes you want to give up and never come back again."  
  
"I think we all have days like that," she said, taking in his whole form. Gone was the confident, capable doctor who she had fallen in love with, and even though she didn't really want to admit to herself, was still in love with. Instead, she saw a man who looked beaten, tired, overworked and stressed. Not that we all didn't look like that from time to time, and especially recently, but there was something about Carter that had her worried.  
  
"Maybe," Carter said, burying his head in his hands again.  
  
"Come on, let's go somewhere and talk," she said, reaching for his hand. "You need to get out of here for a while."  
  
"Susan, I don't really feel like going anywhere right now," he started grumbling, standing as she pulled him up.  
  
"I know, but it will do you good. Come on, there's this little place that opened up a couple of weeks ago about few blocks away. You'll like it, I promise."  
  
Reluctantly, Carter opened his locker and put his coat inside. "Do they serve alcohol at this place?"  
  
"Yep," Susan said, peeking out the blinds at the sky above.  
  
"Good."  
  
A few minutes later, they left the hospital and started down the street, walking close in the wind.  
  
"Smells like rain," Carter began. "Do you think we should drive there?"  
  
"Nah. When was the last time you played in the rain?" she smiled at him.  
  
"Too long ago," he said with a small smile, amazed at how much better he felt already.  
  
Just as the rain began to fall, they arrived at the restaurant and were seated outside on the covered patio, looking out towards the street. After ordering, Carter sat back in his chair and took a drink of his vodka.  
  
"So," Susan began hesitantly. "Feel like talking at all?"  
  
"I don't know," he sighed. "You were right. Just being away from the hospital is what I needed."  
  
"So its work that created your 'day from hell?'" Susan asked, sipping her margarita.  
  
"Work was only half of it. I feel so lost right now, Susan. Not sure what's going on." He paused, searching for words. "In the past few months, my entire life has been flipped upside down on me. And things definitely haven't gotten easier. Today didn't help. My mother and I had an argument this morning and I left the house late. Then I get to work and find out that Romano wants my ass for some late paperwork or something. It was one thing after another all day, and then Abby, the one person I didn't want to see, comes in and tells me that a major trauma is on its way."  
  
"The four kids?" Susan asked, referring to an MVA in which four kids were brought in, but only 1 made it.  
  
"Yeah," he sighed. "After that, I needed to take a break. So I went into the lounge, and that's when you came in." Just then, the waitress brought our food. When she left, we ate in silence for a little bit before Carter broke the silence. "Thanks, Susan," he said.  
  
"For what?" she asked in between bites of her pasta.  
  
"For being there. You've always been there when I needed you. Its always good to know we can talk."  
  
Susan smiled. "What are friends for?" she asked, squeezing his hand softly. Before she could pull it back, he clasped it tighter.  
  
"I don't know, but I do know that I probably wouldn't have made it these past few months without you. Against Weaver, dealing with Mark's death," Carter paused, noticing the look of sorrow Susan always got when Mark was mentioned, "we've made it through together."  
  
Susan took another sip of her margarita, not sure what to say. Part of her wanted to lean over and kiss him, but the other part reminded her that he was seeing Abby, and that he never really loved her. She smiled and returned to eating, pushing all of those unsafe thoughts far from her mind.  
  
*~*~*  
  
More coming soon!  
members.tripod.com/trekgirl01 


	2. Chapter 2

Searching for Certainty  
Chapter 2  
  
  
  
"So now what?" Carter asked as they stepped out of the restaurant into the lightly sprinkling rain.  
  
"I don't know," Susan answered, looking up at the sky. "Looks like its stopping. Want to just walk around?"  
  
"Sure, but I don't feel like going to the empty house any time soon."  
  
"What about Gamma or your mother?" she asked.  
  
"They're out tonight at some benefit dinner. Let's go to your apartment. I always liked it, but let's make a pit stop here," he smiled, heading into a liquor store.  
  
"Feeling alcohol deprived?" Susan joked, but felt a twinge of regret about saying that before she'd thought about how he might take it in reference to Abby.  
  
"Yeah, and over hydrated." He immediately reached for a bottle off the shelf. "Rum or Vodka?"  
  
"Depends, do you work tomorrow?" Susan asked, looking at his selections.  
  
"Nope. I just want to get drunk tonight and forget the past few months."  
  
"Both then," she said, with a small smile. "And I still have a bottle of tequila at my apartment."  
  
"Perfect," he said. "Oh, they have my favorite wine coolers," he said excitingly, rushing to the refrigerated aisle.  
  
"Carter, hold on! This is more than enough for both of us unless you plan on inviting a few more people."  
  
"Okay, put the vodka back, and we'll have wine coolers, rum, and margaritas," he reasoned, grabbing two six packs.  
  
"You really are looking to get plastered," Susan laughed as they made their way toward the register.  
  
"Absolutely. You know how depressing the past few months have been. Add that to not being able to drink with Abby for obvious reasons, hell, add Abby to the past few months, and it all culminates in one night of alcohol and a raging hangover tomorrow." He paid for the alcohol and grabbed the bags, not letting Susan carry them. She smiled at the courteous gesture and led the way outside.  
  
"So, I take it that things with Abby aren't going all that great?" she asked finally after they had walked in silence for half a block.  
  
"In a word, no, but I really don't want to talk about that until I get a nice buzz going," he said with a half grin as he lead the way back to the hospital. "I think we should drive," he explained. "Rain smells strong. I'd hate to get caught in a downpour."  
  
Just as Carter parked near Susan's apartment, the rain started again with a vengeance. Susan fumbled with her keys as Carter held his coat over her to shield the rain. Once the door opened they rushed in, shaking the rain from their clothes. As Susan lead the way up to her apartment, Carter followed close behind.  
  
"It smells like cats," he said plainly.  
  
"Tell me about it. Smells awful, doesn't it?" Susan said, opening the door.  
  
"I thought your building had a no pets policy." Carter set the bag down on the table and took Susan's wet coat, hanging it up for her before doing the same with his own.  
  
"We do. Lina, the new neighbor, claims that she doesn't have any cats, even though we can hear them meowing at night." She put a pack of wine coolers on the fridge but kept the other pack out and handed one to Carter. "It doesn't really matter though, she'll be gone in a couple of days. There was an eviction notice on her door this morning."  
  
Carter sat himself down on the sofa as Susan opened the blinds to reveal the sun setting through the raging curtain of rain.  
  
"Finally, this day is going right," Carter sighed, finishing the wine cooler and grabbing another one. "Ready to hear all of my problems?" he asked with a smirk.  
  
"Yeah, I think so. If you get too depressing though, we're moving straight on to shots of vodka though," she smiled back.  
  
"Go get the bottle," he said. 


	3. Chapter 3

Check the Reviews for an important note about this story. If you have questions about the fic or things you want to point out to me, please e-mail me at Trekgir01@aol.com, especially if you want these manners addressed. Once again, I warn that I am not a Carby, I disagree with the idea completely, and therefore, Carbies may take offense to my story, but I really couldn't care less since I'm the one writing it. Flames will be publicly displayed, and some already are. E-mail me for that URL.   
  
ANOTHER NOTE!! Sincere thanks to the people who reviewed with positive and constructive comments. Your words are greatly endearing to me, and motivate me to spend time writing!!  
  
Now that I'm done, I'll politely step off my soap box.  
  
  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"Ready?"  
  
"Yeah," Susan said determinedly.  
  
"Okay. 1, 2, 3!" Carter said before they both slammed back another shot.  
  
"Whew!" Susan said, shaking it off. "That's what, 4 for you, 3 for me?"  
  
"Nope, I think you've had 5," he said with a smirk.  
  
"Right. 3, 5, whatever. Hey, when did we run out of wine coolers?" she asked, looking at the empty bottles on the coffee table.  
  
"A while ago, before we switched to tequila. Hey, I got an idea!" he said happily, gathering the empty bottles and lining them up near the wall under the window.  
  
"Carter, what are you doing?" Susan slurred as she sprawled against the couch, sipping the last of her margarita.  
  
"Bottle bowling," he giggled. "We take some rolled up newspaper, a small ball or something and see how many bottles we can tip over."  
  
"Oh! I got the perfect thing!" Susan exclaimed, standing up and weaving her way into the bedroom.  
  
As Carter finished lining up the bottles in a pyramid, he heard a loud crash from the bedroom. "Susan?" he called.  
  
"I'm okay!" Susan laughed. "I tripped, but I'm fine." She was still snorting with laughter as she made her way back into the living room clutching a ball of rolled up socks. "Okay," she said, taking a moment to steady herself. "Who goes first?"  
  
"You can. Stand here," he said, marking an imaginary line with his foot on the carpet between the two remaining bottles he had set down.  
  
Susan walked over and stared at the triangle of bottle like it was an enemy she was about to attack. She pulled her hand back, then released the rolled up socks and flung them toward the bottles. The ball ended up about two feet to the left of the target.  
  
"Good try," Carter laughed.  
  
"Well you try then, Mr. I Can Handle More Shots Than You," Susan taunted, throwing the ball at him.  
  
"I never said that," he countered, aiming at the target.  
  
"You're right, but it doesn't matter since you can't."  
  
"Once I win, we'll see who can handle more shots," Carter said, throwing the ball.  
  
"Ha! No better than mine!" Susan said as the ball bounced off the ground and rolled behind an overstuffed chair.  
  
"That's because you rolled it up wrong," he countered as he went to retrieve the ball. As he bent over to fish it out of the confined space, he stumbled and erupted into laughter. "Susan!" he yelped, "I think my hand is stuck."  
  
"How can your hand be stuck, Carter? Its not that small a space. Let me move the chair," she said, pushing the heavy chair away. Her footing slipped and she tumbled onto Carter.  
  
"Oh my god," Carter said in between fits of laughter as he turned over to face Susan.  
  
"We are so wasted," she laughed, pulling herself up and then helping him to stand.  
  
"I know. This is great." He walked into the kitchen. "Another margarita?" he called.  
  
"God, no. I'm about ready to pass out," she said, sinking into the chair.  
  
"Good, more for me," he said, emptying the last of the mixture into his glass before running back into the living room and jumping over the back of the sofa, landing squarely in the middle without spilling a drop of his drink.  
  
"Nicely done, Dr. Carter," Susan laughed, a problem that had been increasing with her drunkenness. "I think it finally stopped raining," she said, walking over to the window and opening it.  
  
"That's good. I hate it when the street by the hospital flubs. Flubds. I meant floods," he said, correcting himself.  
  
"No more drinks for you, doctor," Susan said, staring out into the wet street.  
  
"But I was just starting to feel really, really good," he complained.  
  
"Carter! Look what you did to my carpet!" she exclaimed looking down at her feet. In their previous scuffle, they knocked over the wine coolers, splattering red dots of the wine cooler into the pristine white carpet.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Suse, I'll have it cleaned," he said downing the last of his drink.  
  
"I'll be sure to remind you when you wake up tomorrow and don't remember anything that happened tonight," she said, falling into the empty spot next to him.  
  
"That would suck. This is the best night I've had in a long time. I'd hate to forget this."  
  
"Yeah, nothing like acting like immature kids instead of professional doctors. You realize we're behaving completely out of character and not like ourselves at all? I mean, normally, you would never hear us talk the way we have been," Susan said thoughtfully.  
  
"Okay, that's it," Carter said, standing up. "You need more alcohol."  
  
"No, I don't!" Susan responded. "Come on, Carter. I've already had 3 shots."  
  
"5!" Carter corrected from the kitchen.  
  
"Like I said earlier, 3, 5, whatever. Besides that, I've had a lot to drink, and so have you. Which is not like you at all," Susan commented, playing with the ball of rolled up socks.  
  
"You're right, about all of that," he said, coming back in with fresh margaritas. "Don't worry, very low alcohol level," he said, handing Susan a glass. "But I really need this. I have for a while."  
  
"Are you finally going to explain that?" Susan asked taking a sip, realizing that there was indeed, very little tequila.  
  
"Yeah," he said after a long pause. "I think its time you know. Time for you to know everything."  
  
  
*~*~*  
More coming soon! 


	4. Chapter 4

This part wrote itself. Don't blame me if its getting overly sappy and sentimental. Its my subconscious writing.  
  
  
  
Chapter 4  
  
"Do you know how long its been since I've had a good drink?" Carter asked as he sat on the floor, back resting against the couch. His head lay back at the cushion and he stared up at the margarita he held above his head, examining the filtered light rays that flowed through the dense liquid.  
  
"I actually have no clue how long its been," Susan said after some thought.  
  
"I don't either. Not sure if it's the alcohol that's making me forget, or because its really been that long."  
  
"So are you trying to make up for years all of the drinks you've missed in one night?"  
  
"Maybe," Carter said with a small chuckle. "Maybe I am. And maybe this isn't the best way to deal with my problems. Hell, I know this isn't the way I'm supposed to deal with my problems, but right now, this seems like the best way. Or at least the way with the fewest damages. No one gets hurt but my head tomorrow when I have the hangover to beat all hangovers."  
  
"And your liver. Don't forget your poor liver," Susan countered with a smile.  
  
"Nah, I'm still relatively young. Its got lots of time to harden." They sat in silence for a few moments before Carter sighed and spoke again. "Do you ever get tired of it, Susan?" he asked so softly that Susan had to strain to hear it.  
  
"Of what?"  
  
"Everything. Tired of work, tired of life, tired of the people in your life." He turned to look at her as she half reclined on the sofa, her back resting against pillows with one leg thrown over the arm rest and the other dangling off the edge.  
  
"I suppose that we all do sometimes," she reasoned.  
  
"True, very true, but not quite what I was looking for."  
  
"All right. Yes, I do get tired of it all. Sometimes, I get so fed up that I want to quit. There are times when I want to throw piles of charts at Kerry and walk out, never to return," she said with a small chuckle.  
  
"Glad I'm not the only one who feels like that," Carter smiled.  
  
"No, most of the staff feels like that from time to time," she said before taking a drink and then continuing in a more somber vein. "I get tired of living. It gets frustrating at times, and it doesn't seem worth it."  
  
"I know what you mean," Carter said. "The struggles outweigh the victories. There are more pains and hassles than there are pleasures."  
  
"Exactly," Susan agreed.  
  
"I find myself hating work more than ever recently," he sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't use the word 'hate.' That's not what I feel. I used to look forward to going to work. I used to be so driven in it, but now… it seems more tedious than rewarding, I've lost my passion for it."  
  
"I don't think you have," Susan commented. "You're where you're supposed to be, you're in your element. I know you, John. I have for years, and when I see you working now, I see the same bright, zealous doctor I saw years ago, even before you were called doctor. While the past few months have brought a lot of changes, your fundamental characteristics have not changed."  
  
"Wow," Carter began. "I didn't know alcohol made you a poet," he said with a smile.  
  
Susan laughed a little before calming down again. "Seriously, Carter," she said, holding his hand. "You'll find your place again. It will all work out. Until then, don't be afraid of talking about it all. It shouldn't have taken half a bottle of tequila and 6 wine coolers, plus some vodka for you to talk. And you don't just have to talk to me, you already know how I think."  
  
"No, don't you see? There is no one else for me to talk to. It used to be so much easier for us to communicate." He put his drink on the coffee table and sat next to Susan on the couch. "If certain…things hadn't happened, then this would never have become such a problem. If things had never changed, this would be easy."  
  
Susan wasn't sure what to say, wasn't sure of what 'things' he was referring to. So much had changed, so many things had happened, she wasn't certain of what had caused him to lose conviction in himself. "I know things aren't the same," she said softly after a while. "But please, Carter, please, don't ever hesitate to talk to me. Mark's gone now," she whispered. "I hate to think about that, hate to make myself realize it, but its true, and we can't let ourselves get lost because he isn't here to keep us steady anymore. We have to look to each other for strength now. This is not the time to lose faith, but to gain it."  
  
Carter looked at her and sighed, realizing that she was right. Though she didn't quite understand yet how everything around him was collapsing, he took her words to heart. Slowly, without realizing it or thinking about it, he drew himself to her, thankful that she never left him. As his lips gravitated toward hers, all that was in his mind was how grateful he was that he hadn't lost her for good.  
  
"John," she whispered as his lips were a millimeter away and she could feel his heated breath mingling with her own, word rose to her own lips from some unfathomable depth within her. "What about Abby?"  
  
With that, the spell was broken in his mind. He had forgotten that there was still much of his story to be told. Withdrawing into himself, he felt embarrassed at how close he had come to ruining the progress he had made.  
  
He stood up quickly. "I should go. Its late," he said, realizing that he had risen too fast and suddenly felt dizzy.  
  
"No, you can't. Not with all that alcohol in you. I'll bring you a blanket, stay on the couch tonight," Susan said after a moment to steady herself, allowing the professional side of her to kick in and not admit how much she had wanted that kiss.  
  
"Are you sure?" he asked. "I could call the house and have someone pick me up."  
  
"Don't you dare, Carter. Gamma would love to see you come home drunk after spending the evening with me," she said, returning from the bedroom with a soft blue blanket and two pillows. "Besides, I have tomorrow off as well, and we are going to talk more about this in the morning. Is this okay?" she asked, handing him the heavy blanket.  
  
"Yeah, more than enough," he said as he started to clean up the coffee table.  
  
"Don't worry about it, I'll do that in the morning. Go to sleep, Carter," she said before starting towards her room.  
  
"Susan," he began. She turned and looked at him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. "Thank you."   
  
She smiled and turned off the lights.  
  
  
*~*  
  
More coming soon! 


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry it took so long to update! Quick recap - Carter's having a bad day, Susan takes him out to dinner to talk about it. Carter feels like getting drunk, so they get drunk off of vodka shots and margaritas and daqueris, although I don't think I wrote about the daqueris. Oh well, so after they are sufficiently sloshed, they talk a bit, and Carter reveals that he's been depressed and unhappy with work. Susan reassures him that he's still a great doctor, just having a tough time dealing with everything. They get sleepy, Carter tries to kiss Susan, but she pushes him away, and then, Carter falls asleep on Susan's couch.  
  
Here's part 5! Enjoy!  
  
Oh yeah, this part is very anti-Carby, but then again, I wrote this, so what would you expect?  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 5  
  
The previous night's rain made for a beautiful morning. Well, the remaining 12 minutes of it anyway, Susan thought as she clambered out of bed, squinting as the sunlight illuminated the room. Far too brightly for her throbbing head.  
  
Entering the living room, she saw Carter was still sleeping on the sofa. She smiled at him, seeing the young med student in his face instead of a doctor who had to become the leader of the ER too quickly.  
  
Reaching for aspirin, Susan continued thinking about the snoring form on her couch. True, Carter had spent over 8 years in the ER, and it was only natural that he be in a great position of authority, if not officially, then for all practical purposes. But Susan knew that she liked to live in the past, or at least hold on to those precious memories of days that had passed. She still liked to think of herself as a resident, learning everything she could from Mark, still having Mark around for that matter, before Chloe and Little Susie, and when Carter was a student.   
  
It almost scared her too much to think of Carter as the senior member at work. It meant that he had grown up and gotten older, and so had she.   
  
Just as Susan started making coffee, she noticed that Carter had began rustling a bit under the covers. She walked over to the window and closed the curtain, shielding him from the bright light. He mumbled "Thanks," then pulled the covers up over his head.  
  
"Want some coffee?" she asked and saw him nod from the dark shelter of the blanket. A few minutes later, the coffee was finished brewing and she poured two steaming hot cups. "There you go," Susan said, putting the cup on the coffee table and gathering up all of the previous night's garbage.  
  
"Promise me you will never let me drink that much again," he replied with a scratchy voice, drinking the coffee.  
  
"I'll do my best," Susan said, throwing away the bottles and starting breakfast.  
  
"Do you have any sausage?" Carter asked, making his way into the kitchen with the blanket wrapped around him.  
  
"Yes I do. You're in luck," Susan said, turning to take a package of 'Brown and Serve' sausages from the fridge.  
  
"Maple flavored! My favorite," Carter smiled as he opened the package. "Do you think we should have vodka and orange juice too?" he asked sarcastically.  
  
"God, no," Susan laughed. "I'm very tempted to throw away all the alcohol in this place and never drink again."  
  
"Don't do that. Then you'd be as bad as Abby," he said impulsively. Susan glanced at him inquisitively and he sat down at the table. "Sorry. Shouldn't have said that," he added. "Besides, you could never be as bad as Abby."  
  
"Carter, I would really hate to think that I left you for someone that you refer to like that," she said quietly, starting to scramble the eggs in the pan.  
  
"You left me for Abby?" he asked, a bit confused.  
  
"No, Carter," she said softly, almost whispering. "I thought you realized it, I thought you knew. I left so you would be free to be with Abby." She turned to put two pieces of bread in the toaster. "But it seems like I shouldn't have acted so quickly. If I had known you don't like her…"  
  
"Susan, that's not it," he began, fiddling with a cup left over from a margarita. "I thought that I had loved Abby for, well, for quite a while. She had been there through a lot of stuff, and maybe I did for a while." He faltered and took a deep breath. "And then, almost before I knew it, we were together. It had blown up from one kiss to an almost smothering relationship. I didn't know that Abby was such a dependent person."  
  
Susan listened to his words, unsure of what to say or how to react when he paused. While her heart screamed 'Of course she's dependent! Took you long enough to realize she wasn't right for you!' he much more rational and no longer drunk side remained silent as she served two plates of toast, eggs, and maple flavored sausage.  
  
"Not only was she dependent and smothering," he continued after taking a bite of his eggs. "She's depressing, and moody, very moody. She never seems happy, not even when we were doing what she wanted or together. She's gloomy, and glares at me a lot. She's selfish and a bad kisser. She mopes around a lot, and is no fun."  
  
"I'm sorry things aren't working the way you wanted them to," Susan said, biting a piece of toast.  
  
"Thanks," he replied in between bites of sausage. "I am too. Its sad that I spent so long infatuated with her, and then it seems like I get what I want, but its not what I want. Sounds like I'm still drunk," he smiled.  
  
"No, I understand," she replied. "So, have you broken it off with Abby?" she asked timidly.  
  
"Not officially, I'm sorry to say. We had a huge fight 4 days ago. Haven't really spoken since. I think we both know its over, just haven't had the guts to say anything."  
  
"Oh," Susan rejoined, thinking about how he had almost kissed her last night.  
  
"You know, this is really great food, Susan," he smiled at her, taking the last bite of his sausage, oblivious to the thoughts running around in her head.  
  
"Thanks," she said with a grin before finishing her coffee. "Want a refill?" she asked.  
  
"No, um, I actually should get going," he said, glancing at his watch. "Gamma has a new physical therapist coming in today and she wanted me to meet her," Carter explained as he got up and put his shoes on.  
  
"Okay, I understand," Susan said, taking the dishes to the sink.  
  
"If I don't call you later, I'll see you tomorrow at work," he said, heading for the door.  
  
"Sounds good. Hope Gamma is feeling better," articulated Susan as she opened the door.  
  
"Thanks. I'll see you later," he called as he headed down the stairs.  
  
Susan closed the door and leaned against it, not sure of her feelings. She and Carter were dancing around each other, teetering between friendship and something more. She had known that was true for a while, but she didn't know what to do about it.  
  
Sighing, she pushed thoughts of Carter out of her still slightly aching head, she turned on the TV and started doing the dishes, focusing on how she was going to spend the rest of her day.  
  
  
  
  
*~*  
More to come soon! 


	6. Chapter 6

I'm baaaack!! I've finally been hit with the inspiration to write again (probably because I should be packing to go back to school, but like Susan, I enjoy procrastinating. And since I mentioned Susan, hope you read, "Yes, We Have No Bananas" because it is amazingly funny and anti-carby!)  
  
Anyway, to recap what's happened before, Carter and Susan get drunk and Carter states that he's unhappy with Abby (the anti-carbies squeal with delight!). Now, on with the story!  
  
Oh yeah, and thanks to all the carbies who reviewed trying to "flame" me. We all had a good laugh. Keep it up. School starts soon, I'm going to need something to cheer me up!  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Kerry stood at the admit desk wrestling with a fan that was doing a poor job of circulating the unseasonably warm air through the room. Just as she managed to get it to sway side to side and blow air on level three, she smiled and turned away. The very second she turned around and grabbed a chart, the fuse on the extension cord blew.  
  
"Damn!" Kerry spat angrily, pounding her fist on the fan. Surprisingly, it turned back on, and she allowed herself a small smile of triumph as she started looking through charts, noticing that the fan was still on.  
  
"Thanks for the fans, Kerry," Susan said after pulling her hair out of her lab coat and grabbing a chart.  
  
"If only maintenance would get down here and fix the air for good," she rejoined. "Just because we had a cold front for the past week, they think they can forget about the air until next year," she grumbled, walking toward an exam room. "Oh, Susan, your gallbladder patient is back from radiology."  
  
"Thanks, Kerry," Susan called back, gathering her charts and heading off to see the endless line of patients.  
  
"Hey, Haleh," Malik called. "Come over here!"  
  
"Malik, what's going on?" Haleh began, walking over to the lounge door where Malik stood.  
  
"There's some trouble in paradise," Malik answered as he and Yosh crouched against the lounge door.  
  
"What?" Haleh asked.  
  
"Carter and Abby are fighting," Yosh explained.  
  
"How can you tell?" Haleh asked, straining to hear the muffled conversation through the door.  
  
"Try this," Malik said, putting his stethoscope on and putting the end up to the door. "Yeah, this door's hollow enough."  
  
"Do this often, Malik?" Haleh asked, putting her own stethoscope up to the door.  
  
"Often enough to know that it works," he answered.  
  
They were able to distinctly hear Abby as she screamed, "Well maybe of you were more open and communicative in this relationship, we wouldn't be having all of these problems!"  
  
"Wait a minute," Carter began calmly, but his voice soon crescendoed. "You, of all people, want to be more communicative? And secondly, you call this a relationship? We haven't spoken to each other in nearly a week, Abby. Somehow, I don't see that being a real relationship."  
  
"Maybe that's because you haven't put in any effort here, Carter! Maybe you should stop acting like a spoiled brat who gets whatever he wants!"  
  
"Yeah, well maybe you should stop being so crabby all the time! And quit being so sulky!"  
  
"Hey guys," Jerry began, walking over to the three nurses pressing their stethoscopes up to the lounge door.  
  
"Shhh!" Both Haleh and Malik said to Jerry.  
  
"Carter and Abby are arguing. He just said she was crabby and sulky," Yosh explained.  
  
"Well, she is," Jerry said under his breath, struggling to hear the argument without a stethoscope.  
  
"Lighten up a little, Abby," Carter continued. Then maybe I wouldn't have to go take a dunk in a whose it!"  
  
"What was that?" Jerry asked.  
  
"Something about taking a dump?" Malik guessed.  
  
"Ew, Malik," Yosh said. "I think it was something about a skunk."  
  
"Why would they be talking about a skunk?" Jerry asked.  
  
"No, I think he said drunk," Haleh offered.  
  
From inside, Abby's bellowing voice explained all. "You got drunk with Susan? That's why you wouldn't tell me where you were the other night. I should have guessed, sleeping with Susan. Hope you're happy, Carter!"  
  
"No, just stop right there, Abby. Nothing happened!" Carter exclaimed. "You're jumping to conclusions!"  
  
"At least I'm not jumping into my ex's bed!"  
  
"Well at least I'm not living there!"  
  
"That's it, Carter. Its over!"  
  
Without warning, Abby opened the lounge door. Haleh and Jerry quickly stepped to the side and started walking off, but Malik and Yosh weren't so lucky. They ended up on the floor and Abby coolly stepped over them.  
  
"Hope you enjoyed the show," she spat as she left while Carter walked out the other door and into the ambulance bay.  
  
"Well, I certainly did," Malik said after getting up.  
  
Not ten minutes later, Lydia and Chuny were working on a patient in Curtain Area 3, talking about the incident.  
  
"And then he called her a sulky, mopey brat," Lydia explained to Chuny, telling the story exactly as she had heard it from Jerry.  
  
"You're kidding! He said that to her face?" Chuny gasped, writing on the chart.  
  
"That's not the worst of it," Lydia went on, readjusting a blood pressure cuff. "She accused him of sleeping with Susan!"  
  
"Aye! No me digas!" Chuny exclaimed.  
  
"Did someone call me?" Susan asked, walking up to the bed. She had heard every word they had spoken, but feigning ignorance.  
  
"Oh, no, Dr. Lewis," Lydia smiled. "Dr. Chen's already seen this patient. We're just finishing up here."  
  
"Oh, okay. Well, if anyone asks, I'm off to Doc Magoo's for a quick break," Susan said, intending to find Carter.  
  
"All right, Dr. Lewis," Chuny said with a grin. After she left, Chuny leaned over to Lydia. "Think she heard us?"  
  
"I hope not," Lydia said. "Do you think she and Carter are really sleeping together?"  
  
"Wouldn't put it past them. Who would you rather be with, the crabby princess of gloom, or a reasonably happy person?"  
  
"That's true," Lydia said with a chuckle.  
  
  
  
*~*~*  
Yeah, I know that was kind of short, but more will be following soon!  
  
Trekgirl01@aol.com 


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